Meet Lee Campbell of Girlies Making Friends

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Campbell.

Hi Lee, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
A little bit about me. For the last seven years, I’ve been an online business consultant helping new entrepreneurs grow their businesses. I worked really hard at it, but toward the end of 2024, after the passing of my grandmother, who was the matriarch of our family, I found myself burned out and reevaluating a lot of things.

I realized I didn’t want to spend my entire life hustling. I wanted to actually enjoy life too.

That’s when I created Discover WAYA, which stands for “Where Are You At?” The idea was simple: help people discover fun things to do in their city. But as I started building that brand, I realized something bigger. People didn’t just want things to do. They wanted someone to do them with.

That’s how Girlies Making Friends was born.

Our mission is to help women not only find their tribe, but find themselves again. So many women have spent years taking care of everyone else, their families, their careers, their responsibilities, and somewhere along the way they stopped pouring into themselves.

Today, Girlies Making Friends has grown to more than 20,000 members across multiple cities, and we’re actually celebrating our one year anniversary this month. We’ve hosted over 40 events and helped thousands of women build friendships, create memories, and reconnect with who they are.

At the end of the day, that’s really my mission: creating spaces where people feel connected, supported, and reminded that life is meant to be lived, not just worked through.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh, absolutely not.

What’s funny is that I actually tried to start this brand about seven years ago. I remember being on a call with a mentor, and he told me, “I think you’re supposed to help people start businesses.”

I immediately pushed back. I was like, “No, I’m not. I don’t even know how to help myself. How am I supposed to help somebody else start a business?”

But what I didn’t realize at the time was that I had already spent years learning sales, marketing, psychology, networking, and relationship building through my experience in corporate America.

So instead of building Discover WAYA, I ended up becoming a business consultant for seven years.

Looking back, that detour taught me so much. I learned about business, people, branding, marketing, and what it really takes to build something from the ground up. There were definitely ups and downs along the way, but I always kept helping people at the center of what I was doing.

When I came back to Discover WAYA in 2024, I thought it was a great idea, but honestly, nobody cared. It was really hard getting traction. There were moments where I wondered if I was forcing something that wasn’t meant to happen.

But what I eventually realized was that the vision wasn’t wrong. The audience was.

I thought I was building a platform to help people find things to do. What I discovered was that women weren’t just looking for events. They were looking for connection. They were looking for friendship. They were looking for belonging.

Once I understood that, everything changed. That’s when Girlies Making Friends was born, and that’s when the brand really started to take off.

So I think one of the biggest lessons from my journey is that sometimes the dream is right, but the path to getting there looks completely different than what you imagined.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Girlies Making Friends is more than a social group. It’s a movement built around helping women create meaningful friendships and experiences in real life.

We host events, outings, and travel experiences designed to help women step away from the stress of everyday life and reconnect with themselves and others. Whether someone is new to the city, recently divorced, an empty nester, a busy entrepreneur, or simply looking for genuine connection, we create spaces where women can show up exactly as they are.

What sets us apart is that we’re not just focused on attendance. We’re focused on transformation. Anyone can host an event. We intentionally create opportunities for conversation, connection, and community so that women leave with more than photos. They leave with phone numbers, friendships, support systems, and often a renewed sense of confidence.

Today, we’ve grown to more than 20,000 members across multiple cities and have hosted more than 40 events, but what I’m most proud of isn’t the numbers. It’s the stories. It’s hearing from women who met their best friend through the group, found a travel buddy, started a business together, or simply felt less alone.

At our core, we’re helping women remember that life is meant to be enjoyed and we believe friendship, fun, and connection are not luxuries. They’re essential. And we’re building spaces where women can experience all three.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
One of the biggest things I’ve learned about mentorship is that mentors don’t always look the way we expect them to.

For a long time, I thought I needed one person who would take me under their wing and show me exactly what to do. What I discovered is that mentorship can come from books, podcasts, events, online communities, business owners you admire, and even people you meet for just a few minutes who share one piece of advice that changes your perspective.

When it comes to networking, what has worked best for me is leading with genuine curiosity and service. Instead of focusing on what someone can do for me, I focus on building real relationships. Some of the best opportunities in my life have come from simply showing up consistently, supporting other people, and staying connected over time.

I also think a lot of people overcomplicate networking. Networking is really just building relationships. It’s introducing yourself. Following up. Checking in. Supporting someone’s business. Sharing a resource. Being memorable for the right reasons.

The other thing I would say is don’t be afraid to be visible. So many opportunities have come my way because I was willing to post my work, share my journey, attend events, and let people know what I was building. People can’t support what they don’t know exists.

Some of my greatest mentors have never officially carried the title of mentor. They were simply people whose example, wisdom, and experience helped me become a better entrepreneur and leader. My mother Sherell is one of my biggest mentors, and having a front-row seat to her journey of building The Red Door event venue in Stone Mountain, Georgia, has shaped the way I approach business, community, and perseverance in ways I can never fully put into words.

As I reflect on this journey, I can honestly say that building Girlies Making Friends has been phenomenal. What started as a vision has grown into something far greater than I could have imagined, and that is because of the incredible women who have helped carry it forward. I am deeply grateful to moderator team, Melvina, Kimberly and Cori, our event hosts, Cindy, Porsche, Shanquella, Carla and Lyne, Ann, Dr. Yvonne, our photographer and videographer Bernadette, my MUA and friend April, our sponsors Kerrie Eaton of iKaraoke in Douglasville, LaTasha Webb of WebbCFS, Tameeka Manuel of Tameeka’s event services, our ambassadors, and every loyal member who has shown up, volunteered, encouraged others, and believed in what we are building.

Thank you for helping create a community where women can truly find connection, friendship, and belonging.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://girliesmakingfriends.store/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girliesmakingfriends
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4107095072904058
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamleecampbell/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamleecampbell
• Other: https://www.threads.com/@heyimleecampbell